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S6805 - Details

S6805 - Summary

Relates to patients interred at state mental health hospital cemeteries; directs the release of the name, birthdate and date of death of such patients 50 years after the date of death.

S6805 - Sponsor Memo

BILL NUMBER:S6805
TITLE OF BILL:
An act
to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to patients interred at
state mental health hospital cemeteries
PURPOSE:
To mark headstones or otherwise memorialize patients interred at state
mental health hospital cemeteries.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
The mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new section, 33.27-a&b.
§33.27-a:
-Requires that the names, dates of birth and dates of death of
patients buried in state mental health hospital cemeteries be made
available to mark headstones or otherwise memorialize patients
interred at these cemeteries.
-This information shall be made available fifty years after the death
of a patient.
§33.27-b:
Adds a definition for "state mental health hospitals," to mean any
state funded institution to care for and help treat the mentally ill

or developmentally disabled in New York State, including former
asylums for the insane.
JUSTIFICATION:
Many state-funded institutions to care for and help treat the mentally
ill or developmentally disabled in New York State have cemeteries
with formerly interred patients that have unmarked graves. This bill
will allow for information to be released to mark the graves of
former patients of these state-funded institutions.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
6805
I N S E N A T E
March 23, 2012
___________
Introduced by Sen. ROBACH -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Mental Health and Develop-
mental Disabilities
AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to patients interred
at state mental health hospital cemeteries
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new section
33.27 to read as follows:
S 33.27 RELEASE OF CERTAIN PATIENTS' NAMES AND DATES OF BIRTH AND DEATH.
(A) TO MARK HEADSTONES OR OTHERWISE MEMORIALIZE PATIENTS INTERRED AT
STATE MENTAL HEALTH HOSPITAL CEMETERIES, THE DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL
HYGIENE SHALL MAKE AVAILABLE THE NAME, DATE OF BIRTH AND DATE OF DEATH
OF PATIENTS BURIED IN STATE MENTAL HEALTH HOSPITAL CEMETERIES FIFTY
YEARS AFTER THE DEATH OF A PATIENT.
(B) FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE TERM "STATE MENTAL HEALTH
HOSPITALS" SHALL MEAN ANY STATE-FUNDED INSTITUTION TO CARE FOR AND HELP
TREAT THE MENTALLY ILL OR DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED IN NEW YORK STATE.
SUCH TERM SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO FORMER ASYLUMS FOR THE
INSANE, SUCH AS THE NEW YORK STATE LUNATIC ASYLUM, UTICA STATE HOSPITAL,
WILLARD ASYLUM FOR THE INSANE, WILLARD STATE HOSPITAL, NEW YORK STATE
INEBRIATE ASYLUM, BINGHAMTON ASYLUM FOR THE CHRONIC INSANE, BINGHAMTON
STATE HOSPITAL, BUFFALO STATE ASYLUM FOR THE INSANE, NEW YORK STATE
ASYLUM FOR THE INSANE, BUFFALO STATE HOSPITAL, NEW YORK STATE ASYLUM FOR
IDIOTS AND THE ASYLUM FOR IDIOTS IN ALBANY.
S 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
tation of this act on its effective date is authorized to be made on or
before such date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13640-01-1

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